That's a piece of cake!

This English language we use is a strange bird sometimes. The colloquialisms we say are regional for sure and are pretty much created within individual families.

While in Romania, my husband told a young professional that raising the money for a project would be a piece of cake. Startled, the young man looked him right in the face and said, “And why would we want to raise a piece of cake when we need money?” HA! I think my husband laughed so hard he busted a gut!

We often use the phrase: “Those folks are going to nickel and dime me to death.” Or this one: “If you’ve got the money, honey, I’ve got the time.” Is it possible that you could phrase yourself right out of the true English language if you tried hard enough? If you believe that, I’ve got land in Florida to sell you…

Those phrases may seem funny but have you ever noticed how we’ve brought that same style into our local church? I know you’ve heard this one: Baptists have food at every function and it isn’t a function until they take an offering. Ouch! So people that go to Baptist churches eat too much and don’t donate enough. Hmmm, I wonder what the kids are picking up from this one.

How about, “If you sit in somebody else’s pew you have to pay twice.” Yeah, that’s really friendly to a newbie. Then there’s “Pastor preached so long I thought I’d have to shave twice today!” Now, that’s a comment that will urge your kids to keep coming to worship!

Watching what you say may be more important than you know. You may think it’s just a simple joke and that it doesn’t mean anything, but little ears have a way of listening when you don’t think they are. If you’re riding home from church this Sunday, remember that you’re not alone. Whatever you say about the preacher, the worship service, or the congregation just might get imprinted on some little mind to hold for future reference! Button it up and watch your words!